Life — April 8, 1886 — page 2: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

VOL. VII. APRIL 8, 1886. 1155 Broapway, New York. Published every Thursday, $5 a year in advance, postage free. Single copies, 10 cents. Back numbers can be had by applying to this office. Vol. I., $1.50 per number; Vol. II., 25 cents per number; Vols. III., 1V., V. and VI. at regular rates. Rejected contributions will be destroyed unless accompanied by a stamped and directed envelope. T must be an interesting reflection for our eminent fellow- townsman, Mr. Jay Gould, that scarcely any accusation of dishonesty can be brought against him which would appear upon the face of it absurdly improbable. When some espe- cially atrocious bit of knavery is laid to him, men do not say “nonsense!” They turn it over in their minds and consider whether it was a physical and chronological possibility for Mr. Gould to have been guilty, and whether the action guilt involves would have been to his interest. If any one should say that, disguised as Judas, Mr. Gould had betrayed his Master, the accusation would drop because the accused is not yet one century old, much less eighteen. . . . F it should be charged that he hit Billy Patterson, investi- gation would naturally tend to discover what valuables the man Patterson had about him at the time to make him worth hitting. When it was suggested last week that Mr. Gould was in collusion with Martin Irons to keep up the strike on his railroads, the intimation was considered in good faith as a piece of rascality quite in keeping with his charac- ter. A very curious person is Jay Gould and very singular is the regard in which the public hold him. . . . MONG persons who have not personally suffered through his instrumentality there is no more resent- ment felt toward him than is toward a chicken-stealing fox, or a cat that brings a bird home. When Mr. Gould bags a new group of stockholders it seems only the working out of his natural spirit of depredation, and disinterested spectators have to check their own tendency to applaud. All the same the idea that Irons and Gould were working together for their mutual good does not readily go down. It is a good deal easier to believe that Irons lacks understanding. * . * T is not more human to err than to admire, but there are a dozen good chances for error to one for admiration. When a man comes out strong in an emergency he puts us under two several obligations: first, for what he does, and next, for the chance we get to praise him. Hats off to Grand Master Workman Powderly, who shows promise of being the workingman’s Parnell. A multitude who want to see labor get its just dues are made hopeful by the symptonis of strong sense shown in his behavior. . . . XAMINATIONS for admission to Harvard College are to be held this year in Paris. Germans will be ex- amined as heretofore in Cincinnati and Chinese in San Francisco. The report has been printed but not confirmed, that an examining committee will travel during the summer with Mr. Barnum’s excellent circus. Knowledge is power. Give your sons a chance. * * . O a remark that electric invention must be about finished, Mr. Edison replied, “ No, not one per cent. of it has been done.” Since Mr. Edison's late discovery of the branch of electric research known as “sparking,” he doubt- less feels that as what he knew before was of comparatively little moment, so what he has since learned may be mere fly- speck on the disk of possible attainment. * * * FAP ENTION has been repeatedly called to the striking likeness between the Poo-Bah’s of the Mikado troupes and the prelates of the Holy Irish and Protestant Episcopal Churches, especially the latter. The fact is that our bishops have more style to them than any other'class of men we can show. Our presidents are plain people; and senators and congressmen generally are very moderately puffed up; but dignity is the essence of the episcopal office. Poo-Bah is dignity incarnate: Hence the likeness. * * * R. BARNUM had bad luck with his weather last week and we are afraid those new uniforms suffered. This we regret, as our great American friend has our deepest sympathies in all his trials, and we take a corre- sponding joy in his happiness. , We shall all go to see him and hope to experience the same delight in the twelve-legged calf and the hundred-headed girl that we did in the brave days of yore. Let the lions roar and the Irishman ‘shake his plumed head over his tattooed and tawny skin ; neither our money or our time will be wasted. O, Barnum! Thou art the very sawdust of our nostrils; and the sweet clashing of thy band is harmony.to our ears. May you live long and prosper and may the shadow of the “ Greatest Show on Earth” never be less.